Those of you who know Alex Lloyd are familiar with his overwhelming popularity in australia, and the recording industry poster boy image that went with it. He originally arrived on the scene as a young but talented songwriter with his unassuming debut album, ‘Black The Sun‘. With it, and the few albums after it, he cemented his place in Australian pop culture.

10 years later, things have significantly changed for Alex Lloyd - he’s married, had a kid, and like many artists are doing these days, he’s moved on from his Major (EMI). Thankfully the change appears to have brought with it freedom and a fresh perspective, in the form of his new album ‘Good In The Face Of A Stranger‘.

Alex played 3 shows at a small club in london, obviously as a warmup for the Australian tour he’s about to start. 3 of my friends and 50 or so other fans crammed into the Troubadour venue in Earls Court, and watched the 2 openers, Cosmo Jarvis, and Natalie Nahai, who were both worth listening to. Eventually, Alex came out on stage quietly, and began his acoustic set, consisting on roughly equal parts new and old songs. While he seemed to enjoy the anonymity of playing a small venue in a foreign country, but he became aware most of the audience were aussie fans. He mindfully left ‘Amazing‘ off the list (possibly due to the surrounding copyright furor), disregarding the occasional request for it, and played whatever came to mind.

Having not seen him live before, I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially considering the past commercial sell from his old recording company. I’m happy to say I was pleasantly suprised with his quiet musicality and simple delivery of his beautiful songs. I have a feeling he’s touring with band in australia, but I still recommend you go see him if you get the choice, as it may be a while between drinks after this tour.